Magnolia State Showdown Enters New Era
By: Eric Beovich, MSU Media Relations
As the men’s tennis season rolls on, this week we are reminded of the Magnolia State’s biggest rivalry. Mississippi State and Ole Miss meet on Wednesday in the renewal of a less visible, but equally intense version of the two schools’ historic rivalry.
Since records were first kept in 1969 Mississippi State men’s tennis has 27 wins against Ole Miss, the third-most they have against any program behind only Vanderbilt (36) and Alabama (29).
This season, a new era of the rivalry is ushered in as former assistant Matt Roberts takes over for Mississippi State while former Ole Miss assistant Toby Hansson has been appointed to lead the Ole Miss men’s tennis team.
Joining the MSU tennis program this season is assistant coach Tanner Stump. As a four-year Bulldog letter winner from 2008 to 2011, Stump experienced the rivalry match eight times.
“It’s always an intense rivalry and one that really brings out the best in both teams,” Stump said. “When I first got here Ole Miss had beaten us a lot and it was up to us to break that streak. In the last few years it’s become a really good rivalry again where either team can win. We’re excited to get a chance to play another top 15 team, but it’s the cherry on top that it happens to be Ole Miss.”
The streak Stump was referring to reached 26-straight in favor of Ole Miss, but that streak was snapped in April of 2011, his last appearance in the rivalry match. Stump and his teammates ended the streak as they intended, and the tables have since turned as MSU has won five of the last seven meetings between the rivals.
In his first go-around against Ole Miss last season, Tassilo Schmid got to experience victory against the Rebels as well.
“It meant a lot to us to win that match for sure,” Schmid stated. “It’s always special when we play Ole Miss. It’s a huge rivalry.”
This season, as the team’s lone senior, Schmid has emerged as one of the Bulldogs’ leaders and is looking forward to the opportunity to play against the Rebels once again.
“We are all on the same page as a team and we are all hungry to win, so personally I feel no extra weight on my back, but I’m doing my best to help the team and push my teammates,” Schmid said.
Experiencing his first rivalry match against Ole Miss this year is junior Mate Cutura, who came to Starkville from Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.
“I was told by coaches and former players that Mississippi State and Ole Miss is a big in-state rivalry and that it means the most out of any match of the season,” Cutura stated. “I was well-prepared for that when I got here.”
However, after spending nearly two semesters immersed in Mississippi State’s campus and culture, his eyes have really been opened to what the match against Ole Miss means to the community.
“I feel the increased importance of it more now. Everyone at Mississippi State talks about beating Ole Miss and wanting to be better than they are,” Cutura said. “That makes this match a lot more fun and interesting.”
The newest edition of the rivalry match is Roberts’ first against Ole Miss as a head coach, but the former Arkansas letter winner spent the previous two seasons on the Bulldogs’ staff as the assistant coach. While Roberts wants the team to stay focused and treat this match like any other, he admits there will be a different energy this week.
“We’ll feel it in the air, but you just have to keep it as simple as you can. It’s Ole Miss, but it’s not like we fight harder against them than we do in any other match,” Roberts stated. “I think the difference is how much it means to people who might not even know much about our schedule or our team. That’s the message that I get across to these guys. A lot of people might not know much about tennis, but they always want to know if we beat Ole Miss.”
While the Bulldogs men’s tennis team has a lot more they want to accomplish this spring, their immediate focus is always on the next match. It just so happens the next match right now is the one that carries more importance to the team and their supporters than any other match they will play this season.